Blog #3 - Comparing Media

Word Count: 321

"Linsanity" is the hot topic in the NBA right now, but unfortunately Asian-American point guard, Jeremy Lin, has become a target of racial profiling as well as a victim of racial slurs within the media.

In comparing coverage of the racial slur made towards Lin amongst three different types of news media, it is easy to spot a few key differences.

The New York Times released an article today, which outlined the details tied to the racial slur posted yesterday on ESPN's mobile site as well as a similar slur made by ESPN anchor, Max Bretos.

The article consists of five paragraphs with a length of 287 words, which explain the contexts in which the racial slur was used and the consequences of those actions.

Both ESPN and Bretos are quoted regarding the slur directed towards Lin.

Each source gave a direct apology to Lin and the Asian community.

Because this article is short and direct, it contains no charts, graphs or photos.

When comparing online news coverage of the same story from a Yahoo Sports blog, noticeable differences include a picture of Lin and an additional video clip embedded on the blog.

Textually speaking, the blog is equally as long as The New York Times article with a length of 273 words .

The same two sources, ESPN and Bretos, are used in this piece as well.

The mix of text and video in this piece creates a feel similar to that of broadcast coverage.

A television segment was released by ESPN today as well, which issued a direct statement concerning the racial slur directed towards Lin.

The story lasted a mere 35 seconds and only included ESPN as a source.

Compared to the newspaper article, this short television segment only gave the main details of the story and made no mention of Bretos whatsoever.

Unlike print journalism, broadcast news coverage must be concise and timely in order to deliver information fully and efficiently.

Sources:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7591994

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/sports/basketball/espn-fires-employee-for-slur-in-lin-headline.html

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/daily-take/201202/espn-fires-lin-headline-writer

Word of the Week #3

1. Antiquated

2. My friend, Brendan, used this word while we were having a conversation.

3. Sentence where word was found: These computers use an antiquated form of technology now.

4. Definition: old-fashioned or outdated; Part of speech: adjective.

5. My Sentence: Sending letters has become antiquated in an era dominated by the internet and e-mail.

Blog #2 - Your Favorite Writing

Word Count: 310

The world is comprised of an infinite set of decisions and choices that directly affect even the smallest areas of our lives.

One of my favorite pieces of writing, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, is a true testament to this statement.

Written by Frost in 1916, the poem examines the predicament of either taking a path untraveled or a path that many have already taken.

I enjoy this piece of writing very much for a few reasons.

Being a poet myself, I enjoy reading the works of other writers because it allows me to draw inspiration and examine writing styles that differ from my own.

Frost uses language that expresses what it truly means to be a human being.

He takes a very simple situation and breaks it down into finite components, which can then be applied to the human decision-making process.

The illustration of the two roads is beautiful because it is timeless.

These roads are ever-present and will therefore remain in place for every human being who must choose a path to follow.

I enjoy the message of this particular poem very much because I tend to think a lot about the decisions I've made, the decisions I'm making and the decisions I'm going to make in the future.

Each of these decisions is plagued by consequences that I reflect upon in the back of my mind.

Like Frost, I too understand that the path less traveled is the path I wish to take.

It is a path that is not only fresh and exciting, but also expressive of who I am as a person.

One of my core values is individualism, which is why I make it a point to set myself apart from the crowd.

At times the road may seem lonesome, but I certainly do not plan on taking a different path anytime soon.

Robert Frost, Mountain Interval (New York: Henry Holt, 1921), pp. 9. Original publication date: 1916.

Word of the Week #2

1. Exacerbated

2. Found in my Intercultural Communications textbook.

3. Sentence where word was found: And conflicts may be exacerbated by power differentials, with some values privileged over others.

4. Definition: To make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse; Part of speech: verb.

5. My sentence: Staying up to study all night exacerbated the cold I caught a few days a go.

Word of the Week #1

1. Ontogeny

2. Hauser, Marc D. (1997). The Evolution of Communication. Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

3. Sentence where word was found: A close look at what we know about human language suggests that our understanding of mechanism and ontogeny is sophisticated, whereas our understanding of function and phylogeny is relatively poor.

4. Definition: The development of an individual organism or anatomical or behavioral feature from the earliest stage to maturity; Part of speech: noun.

5. My Sentence: The ontogeny of a species heavily depends on its genes, the environment in which it is raised and any other random factors that may contribute to the overall make-up of an organism.

Blog #1 - All About Me

Word Count: 266

Working with Capernaum, a ministry for kids and adults with mental and physical disabilities, has taken me to places such as Kauai and Macedonia where I help lead week long camps with a team of individuals.

I am a public relations major at San Jose State University and would like to do something in either sports or music/entertainment.

My passion for music has allowed me to dive deeper into who I am as a person.

I write my own songs, play guitar and write poetry in my free time because it allows me to express myself better than any other way.

I'd love to start playing at different places in the near future to share my gifts with others.

I come from a Christian background and it is definitely the core of who I am as a person.

A huge part of my life are my two brothers, Zack and Sam, who are my best friends.

When it comes to writing, I feel that I am a very strong creative writer and that I am good at adding details to encompass the message at hand.

I struggle with commas a lot as well as cutting down on my descriptive language.

At times it can become a bit overwhelming.

If I had to pick one favorite color it would definitely be blue because I love the sky and the ocean.

In my spare time I like to play my guitar and take pictures.

Photography is my newfound hobby and I am having so much fun going out to different locations in order to take new pictures!

This ad is appealing to a mothers (and possibly fathers) fear through the use of Pathos. The scene depicted in this Hillary Clinton ad focuses on the security of children based upon who the President of the United States is. Essentially, the ad is warning the public that if the wrong person is elected to office, anyone's children may be in danger or should be fearful that America is in the hands of an incompetent individual, unless that individual happens to be Hillary Clinton. The darkness of night and the phone ringing in the silence creates an essence of the unknown and insecurity as to who will pick up the phone and answer America's call.